Basketball power couple Anneli Maley and Marena Whittle got their Olympics journey off to a sluggish start in the women’s 3×3 on Tuesday.
Proud same-sex couple Maley and Whittle play together on the Australian 3×3 basketball team and are determined to get on the podium together, but also want to fly the flag for people in their community who are confused with their identities.
‘It’s about getting to create something that is normal and to have visibility for the LGBTQIA+ community,’ Maley told News Corp before the games.
‘It’s obviously about basketball, but how cool is it that we get to be that example for the younger girls and boys who get to see that representation on an Olympic stage.
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‘Some young ones may be afraid to stay something (about their sexuality), so hopefully seeing us at the Olympics can put them at ease and help in some way.’
But the Aussies failed to get over the line against Canada in Paris, losing 21-14 in their opening match of the competition.
There is plenty of time to turn things around, however, with the Aussies yet to play the other six nations as it stands.
The top two teams advance to the semi-finals while the bottom two teams are eliminated. The remaining four nations then compete in the quarter finals.
Proud couple Anneli Maley (right) and Marena Whittle lost their first game at the Olympics
Maley says she will talk about going to the Olympics with her life partner for years to come
‘I get to go to the Olympics with my person,’ Maley said about Whittle.
‘I get to see not only all the hard work that I’ve put in, but I’ve also seen all the work that Marena has put in behind the scenes and it’s pretty amazing.
‘An achievement to go to the Olympics with my life partner is pretty cool. It’s something that we’ll get to talk about at the wedding and for years to come when we are grey and old.’
The Australian women’s 3×3 basketball squad won the FIBA Asian Cup title earlier in 2024 and are the first Aussie 3×3 team to compete at the Olympics.
The side is currently ranked 29 in the world and have been in terrific form with a recent win over China.
Maley believes the Aussie team can podium in Paris.
‘We have to be confident,’ she said.
‘That’s one of the most important things playing 3×3 is the self-belief.
‘It’s a 10 minute game, so there is no room for you to question anything.
But it was a sluggish start for the power couple in the women’s 3×3 basketball opening match
‘It’s a race to 21, but I think as a group we have just performed so well.’
In 2023, the couple spoke of the hassle of living apart while playing in different domestic teams.
‘The most important part was us establishing our own careers first and then we’ll come together at some point in the future,’ Maley told The West Australian’s The Dribble Podcast.
‘But there’s no pressure to do that. We don’t have to. If it happens, it happens.
‘I would love to play on the same team as her because we play in the Australian 3×3 team together and we’re unstoppable in that space.’
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